


Escaping Fear

by OveliaGirlHaditRight



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, But also slight SoKai. Since they were together before and might get back together, Drabble, Gen, Gift for BlueRosesBurnBlue's birthday, I made some adjustments to make it better imo, Me attempting to write something both SRT fans and not can enjoy. Maybe, Oneshot, Sleeping Realm Theory inspired, Sora and Kairi friendship, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25584421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OveliaGirlHaditRight/pseuds/OveliaGirlHaditRight
Summary: A drabble I wrote for bluerosesburnblue's birthday. Sleeping Realm Theory inspired--but me trying to make it better. Also, there might be some unintentional Sleeping Realm Theory bashing in the AN. Oops--where a Kairi who was a Chirithy...and a Sora who was in the Sleeping Worlds again, enjoys having a real and peaceful moment together. And want to believe it's true, and it will stay that way. Sora and Kairi friendship, but they were together before and there's a hint they might get back together in the future.
Relationships: Kairi & Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	Escaping Fear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueRosesBurnBlue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRosesBurnBlue/gifts).



> So, Liz: for the awesome person who debunked the entire Sleeping Realm Theory—and rightfully developed a following for it (you)—I weirdly thought you deserved something Sleeping Realm related you could actually like for your birthday. Since you’ve said a few times, that you actually liked some of their ideas… but them just creating the theory for shipping bias and shipping bias alone kind of ruined it.
> 
> I should say, though, this isn’t a one-to-one Sleeping Realm Theory story. Since I’ve never actually read the document, just your debunks, there are some things I’m probably still unclear on. And that’s probably shown here.
> 
> And this is me trying to make it “better”, anyway, like in actually respecting Kairi.
> 
> Also… Sora and Kairi are broken up in this, but still best friends (because of trauma, basically), because the Sleeping Realm Theory is clearly not a fan of SoKai, but rather SoRiku… but since I am (and you are?), I thought it best to just have no pairings in this (and no Sleeping Realm Theory’s SoRiku, either), so maybe both sides of the aisle can enjoy this? Maybe? Like, I wanted to actually acknowledge and respect Sora and Kairi’s relationship—unlike the Sleeping Realm Theory, that says things like Kairi forced Sora or seduced him to share paopus with her or whatever?—but also get shipping out of the way (even though y’all know I’d happily keep the SoKai), so everyone can be happy. But this fic does end with a hint that Sora and Kairi might end up together again (…because I just ship them too much, apparently. Sorry), but oh well.
> 
> Anyway, here’s the story. And sadly, it’s just a short little drabble with Sora and Kairi. I meant to do more—like have an entire story that’s the Sleeping Realm Theory, but hopefully better and not just there for shipping—but I didn’t have the time. But I hope you can still enjoy this, nonetheless.

Kairi—who had apparently been a Chirithy most of her life—liked that her life was no longer literally tied to Sora's--because loved ones should never be so co-dependent on each other, but she did miss being able to feel her best friend’s heart. She also missed the light she had once been able to command, for his sake.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" Sora asked her now. The two of them were currently hanging out at Sora’s house, just trying to get back to normal—whatever normal had been for them—after everything they’d been through. But that was easier said than done.

But Kairi was good at willing herself happy, so that she would almost become that. And so she bonked his nose now, as she laughed. "Of course I’m fine, silly. ...I'm the one who should be asking you if you’re okay. I mean… do you still worry you're in the Sleeping Worlds?"

So, that had been a thing that had happened. At one point, when Kairi and Sora were getting ready for the Keyblade War and trying to fight in it like everyone else, Sora and Riku had both Dropped… so they had been fighting some dream version of it, while everyone else had been in the real one. There was a bit more to it than just that, but Kairi wasn’t quite sure she wanted to think of it right now. It was still too nightmarish.

"No. Not anymore," Sora answered; and he put a hand on her shoulder—as if to reassure her of the fact—before swiftly moving it away. Right, they were trying to put any romance between them to the side for a moment, since she’d somehow been used as bait to lure him into a deeper sleep. And while Sora hadn’t been upset about this at first, Kairi had been. And when he’d realized that being in a relationship with her was causing him pain—since Kairi feared she’d be used to hurt him again—he’d finally called the thing off… for the time being.

"If I were still asleep, I mean, I don't think you would have told me you were a Chirithy. As that’s apparently more reason for me not to be with you, and you know I want to be with you... So the fact you have, makes me think this is real."

And it _was_ real: so very real, this nice bout of peace that they’d been able to carve out for themselves and all of their friends. And yet both Kairi and Sora, she could tell, did still have their doubts from time to time, that they’d achieved this happiness. Or that they’d ever work. And even if Kairi was now scared of them being a _them_ some—for Sora’s safety, as well as her own autonomy—she still wanted them to have hope. She was a Princess of Heart, wasn’t she?

And so the Princess came up with an idea for finding that, as she leaned against Sora ever so slightly. "You know what we need, Sora? A nice dose of reality and safety. And in my opinion, that dose might be in Traverse Town. I felt safe there with Cid—and the rest of the Restoration Committee, before they left—watching some worlds return to the sky, even before the End of the World began fading away. And I’m sure if you go there and see new graffiti on the walls, you’ll know that Neku and his friends have visited once more, and that you’re in round three of your adventure in the Sleeping Worlds: not your horrible first and second. The only way out of fear is through it, right?”

And Sora agreed. And the two of them—with Riku, even—did end up going there and finding some much-needed solace… but before that, Kairi accidentally bumped into Sora’s nose with her enthusiasm and kissed it. And as butterflies formed in her stomach, she thought maybe she needed to get rid of her fears with Sora by diving right back into things with him, too.


End file.
